C love Cato
by Katara Macken
Summary: We only ever knew Clove as a sadistic girl from District 2. But maybe, just maybe, there's another side to her than that. Rated T because it's the Hunger Games
1. Chapter 1

I have never remembered a time without Cato. We were born two years apart, but I had been living with Cato ever since my father killed my mother in a fit of rage. I still remembered the Peacekeepers dragging away my drunk dad. I didn't feel anything, just that I needed to go to Cato. From that day on, Cato's family took care of me. Cato was like a brother to me.

Cato kept bugging me.

I kept threatening to rip his throat out with her teeth.

That was about as close to friendship you could get with me.

We were both chosen to train in the Tribute Facilities. It was called `TF`, but so many people asked `What is TF?`, that now it's just called `WTF`. I liked to think if you turned it around, the letters are the acronym `for the win`. I was 14, he, 16, and I was going for the win.

Cato had already confirmed that he would go, and the confirmation had stirred up something in me. I already knew I had a family relationship with him, but I felt something more, just between the two of us. It pained me to think of Cato dying. I figured that I couldn't, and wouldn't live without him. So I volunteered. That night, the Claybourn family set out their only son, and their adopted daughter to the highest honor any citizen of District 2 could receive, the Hunger Games.

I thought of the day when I first entered the WTF. Heavy weapons hung from ever wall. Big, strapping boys lunged out at each other, trying to pin the other down. I lifted every weapon, but all of them were heavy for a 4`5 girl. Except for one. It drew her eye. The small weapon fit snugly in her hands. It was lightweight, good for throwing and close combat. That day, I fell in love with the knife. Every day, I threw her knives, stabbed with them, slashed with them. And I never missed. Every target was met with deadly accuracy, lighting fast reactions, fatal strength. Sure I was a little small for her age, but I could fight Cato bare handed, and make it last twenty minutes, long after any other fights he had. I knew that knives were going to help me survive the Games.


	2. Chapter 2

I sat down beside Cato on the Capitol couch. Introductions were over, and we had down time.

Cato spoke. `You know only one person comes out of the Games alive right?`

I nodded tersely, not sure where this conversation was going.

`So say we're the last tributes alive. Would you kill me?` Cato tilted his head to the side.

I thought for a moment. `I don't know, really. It's going to be hard to kill you, and you're a nice guy. Everyone says so.`

`Do you?` A smug grin appeared on Cato's face.

I developed a sudden interest in my combat boots. `That's not being fair.` I finally get out, `But yes. You're more than nice.`

Cato looked pleased with my answer, but being the horrible person I am, I wasn't going to let him go. `How about you? Would you kill me?`

`I'll be hard. I love you as a sister you know.` He answered.

I cocked my head to the side, smirking. `Any more than a sister?` I pressed.

Cato faltered. `Yeah.` He stands up, smiling. Cato offers his hand to me. `They say the roof's real nice.`

I entwine my fingers with his. `Do you?` I tease, before walking out hand in hand with Cato.


	3. Chapter 3

I walked out with Brutus to the designer's rooms. `Hey!` Beams Chart, our designer, `How are you doing Brutus?` He asks, embracing him. He pulled away and examined my 5`4 frame with a critical eye. `Real skinny for a tribute eh?` He mutters, taking notes.

I fume. `I'm not skinny, its muscular.` And just for the good of it, I flex an arm.

Chart steps back in surprise, then took more notes. `Very well Clove, I think I have just the thing for you.` He leads me past attendants who are beautifying their tributes, and into a door marked `**2**`. Inside was a rack with two garments hidden behind a paper cover.

Chart struggled with the garment like it was a block of lead. `Need me to help?` I offer.

`Nope, I'm fine, thank you very much.` Still, Chart strains his efforts to lift it.

I pick it up without blinking an eye. Still, it was extremely heavy for a dress.

Chase pulled away the paper cover. `Voila!` He exclaimed.

The paper-covered garment was now a suit of gladiator armor, beat out of gold. A blood red Roman-style tunic had a belt with strips of leather hanging over the front. The plain golden breastplate sat under a headband of gold. On its sides were the golden wings of Hermes' winged shoes. Thrust in the belt was a golden, oiled sword hanging from its scabbard. Really, it was amazing. I stepped into the costume, then gave an approving nod to Chart.

I walked into Cato's room His golden hair was gleaming, along with every other part of his body covered in golden armor. Like mine, his costume was sleeveless. My eyes dropped to the crimson gladiator style loincloth he wore, and the strapped sandals on his feet. They returned back to his muscular arms and chest.

`Keep your eyes in your head.` He teased gently, looked me over.

`Same goes for you.` I couldn't help but run a hand over his armored chest. `You're so… so…` I struggled to think of the right word.

`Big? Strong?` He suggested, then cocked his head to the side. `_Sexy?_` He asked in his best seductive voice.

I giggled, and combed back his spiky hair with my fingers. `Yeah.` I honestly couldn't comprehend how he could look so stunning. Then I noticed he was hiding something behind his back. `What's that?`

Cato squirmed a bit. `Remember what we were talking about on the couch before we went up to the roof?`

`Yeah.` I nodded warily, unsure of what he was going to say. Then it hit me like a ton of bricks. I let out an involuntary un-Clove like gasp.

Cato got down on one knee, and asked a question that would change our lives. And of course, I said yes.


	4. Chapter 4

The tribute parade went on fine, other than the fact that the District 12 tribute went `flame on`, literally. We ended up shooting dirty looks at them, as their designer, Cinna, extinguished their flames. We took our grudge to the `training center`. Really, it was just a place for the Career tributes, District 1, 2, and 4, to show off their skills and intimidate the field.

A woman called Atala talked about the rules. Rules? Psh. There was only one rule in the Hunger Games. Survive. Atala dispersed us, and the Careers met for the first time. While Glimmer and Marvel talked about themselves, I sub-consciously fingered a knife, thinking of ways to stick it into the priss-face girl, Glimmer. Cato seemed to be thinking the same thing. It's good to be paired up with someone who knows a thousand ways to kill you with a butter knife.

`I'm Cato Claybourn.` Cato said, eyes scanning the wimpy District 1 tributes.

`Clove.` I spat.` Glimmer was taken aback either my nature, or my size.

Cato read her mind. `She may be small, but don't underestimate her. Oh, and Clove's my bitch, so keep your hands off.` He displayed a fist with a metal band around his ring finger that matched mine.

The girl from District 4 piped up. `I'm Tara.` She looked like a Pilipino-European mix.

`Where's the boy?` Marvel asked, confused,

`He chose not to join.` Tara answered, `It will get back to him sooner or later. He was never really right in the head anyways.`

Cato nodded his consent.

That's what happens when you reject an offer from the Careers.

I sat on a bench, waiting to show the gamemakers just how good I was. Cato seemed to be taking an awfully long time. `What are you going to do?` I asked Tara.

`I don't know. Probably take my anger out on the dummies with a hatchet.` She smiled at the thought. `How about you?`

`If I told you, then you'd know what I specialize in. Save that for the arena.` I answered smugly.

Tara just smiled.

* * *

Cato walked through the door. His spiky golden hair was slick with sweat. `Your turn Clove.` He said, `Throw straight.` He smiled, then left the corridor.

I walked into the training room, fingering the metal ring on my finger. The dummies Cato had hacked up lay on the ground in pieces. The shooting target had six arrows embedded around it, but none in the bulls eye. I guessed that would be Glimmer. A dummy had a spear impaled in its stomach. _`Marvel.`_ I thought. I picked up my knives. I threw them at the light up targets, meeting each dummy with a knife through a vital point. The gamemakers nodded approvingly. I looked at my handiwork. _`Clove.`_ I thought, before being dismissed.

We sat on the couch, watching the televised scores in our training, eating lamb stew.

Caesar Flickerman appeared on screen, and began to announce the scores. `From District 1: Marvel: 9, Glimmer: 9. From District 2: Cato: 10, Clove: 10... From District 4: Tara: 9… From District 11: Thresh: 10, Rue: 7. From District 12: Peeta: 8, Katniss: 11. Flickerman signed off. I Katniss had a higher score than I did. I held my knife, and threw it hard at a table. The blade buried itself deep into the wood. My face had no expression on it.

Seconds later, the table with my knife in it was cleaved cleanly in half by Cato's fist. `Bullshit!` He picked out slivers of wood from his fist. `That District 12 girl's going to pay.`

I said nothing, my face a blank mask. I stood up, retrieved my knife, and spun it around my finger. I stared at no particular spot on the wall, and hurled the knife with all my might at it. The blade sank in with a satistying `thunk`, and all I had to do to calm down, was to imagine that instead of the wall, I had pierced District 12's heart.

* * *

I probably should have slept. It was the eve of the Hunger Games, but I just couldn't. I climbed up onto the roof. Down in the streets, Capitol citizens were milling about, dancing, partying. I sat on a window ledge, back against the cold metal. Several minutes later, Cato appeared on the roof as well. `Hey Clove.` He said, sitting himself across from me.

`Hi.` I answered, fingering the ring on my left hand. `What are you doing up so late?`

`Shouldn't I be asking you that question?` He replies smugly.

I give a faint breathy laugh, and look down to the streets. I turn back to Cato. `I'm trying to be myself for the last night of freedom I have. Time for me to put down my badass side, and be the person I really am.`

Cato smiled. `Me too.` He clasped my left hand with his. `And I'm also here to spend time with you.`

I smile at the irony of this. Tomorrow, we will be thrown into an arena where we have to kill each other, and yet, here we are, sitting against a windowsill, trying to be ourselves. I take out my token, a neck-chain with a tiny metal cylinder attached. The cylinder was engraved with the District 2 seal, and our names, _Cato and Clove_.

`That your token?` Cato asked, pointing to the chain. I nod, and he leans over to take a closer look. Our foreheads are touching as he finally looks up, and smiles. Then he does something very un-Cato like.

He kisses me.

I feel the blood in my body turn to liquid fire, pounding in my brain. It feels like forever, but Cato finally pulls away. Our breathing is ragged, and his eyes have a bit of a wild glint to it. I merely smile.

`Love your token by the way.` He says before he stands up, and heads back to his room.

I stay sitting for a moment, trying to process what had just happened. Yeah. Cato, my childhood friend, who's family took care of me, the boy with the sword. I bloody kissed Cato, the boy with the sword. I shook my head as I got back to my room. I slid into bed, and fell asleep to the sound of Cato's snoring.

* * *

**A/N: **Hey guys, I just found out how to make an author's note... yeah, not the brightest lightbulb in the room, but hey, this is my second fanfiction, so I'd appreciate it if you guys put in reviews, but no flames please. So, I'll try and post every other day, and yeah, hopefully, I won't be too much of an epic fail ;)

-Katara Macken


	5. Chapter 5

Chart leaves me at the slaughterhouse. `Go girl.` He says, then exits. I step onto the metal disk, and a glass panel cuts me off from the outside world. I finger the light, waterproof jacket, and examine my cargo pants. I frown when I notice the t-shirt is skin tight, but I don't have time to think anymore, because the disk is rising.

The first thing I saw was a giant metal structure. The Cornucopia. The tributes stood in a giant circle, all on pedestals. The Cornucopia had a gaping mouth in which contained many things for our survival. Backpacks, weapons, food, all of it was here. Above the opening was a clock. 15, 14, 13, 12, 11… The clock ticked away. When it reached zero, the mines under our feet would be deactivated, and we were free to run, grab, and kill. 05, 04, 03… I saw a knife belt beside a backpack. It was destined to be mine. 02, 01, 00. The klaxon sounded, and all the tributes ran to the Cornucopia, grabbing bags, and weapons. Some people chose to run away, while others stayed for the bloodbath. I slung the bag over my shoulder. There on the ground, a boy tousled with the District 12 girl for a backpack. One of my knives found a home in his back. As he slumped down dead, I threw a knife at District 12. She hitched up her backpack, the knife burying itself into the fabric. I swore under my breath, before returning my attention to the fight. I caught an eyeful of Tara fighting hand to hand with the District 7 girl. Tara was on the ground, pinned by the girl who had an axe, and seemed eager to cut off Tara's head. That is, until I killed her. Tara smiled at me, and picked up the girl's machete, before speeding off to participate in the bloodbath. I heard the District 12 girl scream, and I turned to see the District 7 boy about to bring an axe on her head. He never made the cut though, because he was too busy staring at the knife handle that had sprouted from his throat.

I stood and watched as Cato swung his sword and took off the District 4 boy's head. Serves him right for not joining the Careers. I spent the rest of the day picking clean my kills, retrieving their knives, and hanging them from my jacket.

Glimmer called over Cato. `He wants in.` She called out, pointing to Peeta.

`Sure, whatever.` Was his reply.

Tara came back, covered in blood. `It's not mine.` She assured me, `Some guy decided to puke blood all over me. Euh! This is gross!`

All the Careers made it, as usual, with the exception of the District 4 boy. I hear the cannons. 11 shots. 11 dead, 12 to go.

The boy from 3 sets up the bombs around the supplies from the Cornucopia, and we set him up to guard the camp.

I followed Cato's lead into the forest to pick off any stragglers in the woods. It's nightfall when I see the smoke. I tap Cato's shoulder, and point up to the smoke. He smiles at me, and we slink around, encircling her.

Cato walks up to the girl. `Little girl, don't you know it's dangerous to play with fire?`

She looks up. `Yes, but I was cold, and I needed heat. What district are you from?`

As if on cue, I slid into the clearing. `First, which one are you from?`

The girl actually thinks we want to be her ally. `District 8. How about you?`

Tara stands behind her, and puts a hand on her shoulder. `Some people call us Career tributes.`

District 8 struggles to register this, as Peeta, Glimmer and Marvel glide in. `So you're not here to help me?`

Cato kneels down. `No, we're here to help. We know how to get you out of this arena.`

She understands what he's going to do. `No, no! Please! No! Please don't kill me! I'm too young to die!` She pleads.

Cato merely laughs, and stabs her with his sword. You can hear her piercing scream from across the arena.

I look at Cato. The flames light up the bottom of his face, giving him a haunted look. We all look like that.

`One down, 11 to go.` I say, and receive nods of approval from the Careers.

I bend down, but the girl doesn't have anything worth keeping on her.

`Better clear out before the body starts stinking.` Says Cato, and we move out.

`Shouldn't we have heard a cannon by now?` Tara asks suspiciously.

`I'd say yes. Nothing to prevent them from going in immediately.` I reply.

`Unless she isn't dead.` She retorts.

`She's dead. I stuck her myself.` Cato puts in.

`Then where's the cannon?` She presses.

`Someone should go back. Make sure the job's done.` Marvel says.

`Yeah, we don't want to track her down twice.` Glimmer tilts her head.

`I said she's dead!` Cato protests.

`We're wasting time. I'll go finish her and let's move on!` Peeta ends the argument, and stalks back to the girl.

`Go on then, Lover boy. See for yourself.` Cato hissed.

Once he was out of earshot, Glimmer talks in a hushed voice. `Why don't we just kill him now and get it over with?`

`Let him tag along. What's the harm? And he's handy with that knife.` Marvel defends, `And besides, he's our best chance of finding her.`

`Why? You think she bought into that sappy romance stuff?` Retorts Cato.

I pull a face. `She might have. Seems pretty simpleminded to me. Every time I think about her spinning around in that dress, I want to puke.`

`Wish we knew how she got that eleven.` Tara huffs.

`Bet you Lover Boy knows.` Marvel nodded.

At that moment, Peeta came back. `Was she dead?` Cato asked angrily.

`No. But she is now.` He replies evenly, as a cannon fires. `Ready to move on?`

I ran back to the camp, with the rest of the Careers following.

* * *

We end up camping by a small pool. Tara makes her fishing nets, and catches us a bounty. We roast the fish over a bonfire. No one will come challenge us, not when we are well-fed, and armed.

I sit on a slab of rock with Tara, chewing my fish. `You are yet to make your first kill.` I point out, thinking of all the dead tributes.

She blinks, then nods. `Yeah.`

I nod. `Then the next kill the pack makes is yours.` I chew on the meat.

`Thanks.` A little grin escapes Tara's lips, and for the first time, I notice she is wearing some kind of fish pin.

`That your token?` I ask, pointing to the fish over her heart.

`Yeah. I'm from the fishing district, and it's a favourite hobby of mine.` She answers.

I think of the chain on my neck, and take it out. She gasps a little when she sees the cylinder. She turns it over in her hand, brushing a finger over the engraved design. She taps a finger over the end, and it pops open.

I raise an eyebrow at it, as she takes off her token. Tara twists the pin, and it rolls into a neat tube. She feeds it into the cylinder. I smile at her ingeniousness. `Take it. I have a feeling like I'm not going to survive these games. Take it in remembrance of me.`

Our hazel eyes meet, and right there and then, I knew that we were fast friends.

I wake up to the sound of sizzling. The bonfire was out, but the air was heavy with smoke. I shook the Careers awake. `Wake up. There's a fire somewhere, and it's big. Somewhere, someone screams, and I kick Tara out of the way before a fire ball slams into the spot where she was a second ago. That's when I see the wall of fire. `_Holy crap._` I think, before Tara's voice pulls me back into reality.

`Get into the water!` She calls out, taking a flawless dive in. I shoot into the water, just as a fireball sails overhead. I pulled Cato into the water, and winced as a fireball landed in the water, splashing water everywhere, and steaming up the pool.

Marvel yelped as a fireball just barely missed his arm. Following Tara, I plunged deep under the water, and stayed there. A fireball skimmed overhead, and exploded over my head. I shot up, and gasped, spitting out water, but the fire had ended.

That's when we hear District 12. I smile at Cato, and we hustle over to her. We see the girl treating her burns by a small pool. She turns to look at us, screams, and breaks into a run. We hurdle after her, eager to make the girl pay for getting a higher score than us.

We cheer as we gain on 12. Glimmer draws an arrow on her bowstring as Fire girl climbed into a tree.

`How's everything with you?` She calls down, panting.

I look at her like she's an alien from another world.

`Well enough. Yourself?` Cato yelled back.

`A bit warm for my taste. The air's better up here. Why don't you come up?` She taunts.

`Think I will.` He mutters.

`Here, take this Cato.` Glimmer hands him the bow and arrow.

`No.` Cato says, pushing it away and grasping the trunk, `I'll do better with my sword.` He points to the heavy blade hanging from his hip. 12 begins to climb again.

Cato snarled, and followed her. `Come on, Cato.` I muttered, watching him scale the tree.

`Watch out for the thin branch!` Marvel called out. Too late, Cato fell down, and landed on his back. He got up, cursing loudly. Glimmer went up the tree next, and stopped when she heard the branches cracking.

She pulled back the bow, and shot an arrow at 12. `Darn. Missed.` She growled.

Peeta pipes up. `Oh, let her stay up there. It's not like she's going anywhere. We'll deal with her in the morning.`

I growled. `So we're not going back to the Cornucopia?`

Tara shakes her head. `I guess not.`

Glimmer offers to take watch, and I fall asleep beneath the tree, not knowing what kind of a danger it would become to be.

* * *

**A/N: **Okay guys, I think just reached a climatic moment, and I suddendly got writer's block, so sorry if the chapter's kind of crappy, but school's starting to pile up, and I'm losing sleep, so... yeah... sorry about that... -.-lll

I'll try to post every other day, so see you 'till next time, readers.


	6. Chapter 6

A loud buzzing made me shoot up, awake. Not three feet away from Glimmer, a tracker-jacker nest fell, and blew apart as it hit the forest floor. I screamed, waking everyone. I pulled at Cato, who shot to the lake. `Head to the lake!` He cried, as we sprinted out.

I dragged Tara, but the tracker-jackers were too much for me, and I dropped her. `Run Tara! Damn you, this isn't funny! Run!` She staggered to her feet and followed me. Glimmer screamed behind us, calling for us to come back and help her. I knew right then and there, that she was a goner.

I turned just in time to see Tara fall, twitching. I cursed inwardly for not being aware of the threat earlier. Holding back tears, I shot towards the lake, and plunged into the water. The tracker-jackers buzzed around, then dispersed back into the woods. I ran back to where Tara lay on the ground. Her eyes looked far away, her arms stung, her breathing shallow. `Tara…` That was all I could manage as I held the dying girl in my arms. She looked up at me, and nodded, before clasping my token in her hands. `Thanks Tara.` I smile, as she breaths her last. I hear her cannon, and I put her down on the ground.

I stand up, and follow Cato to Glimmer's bloated body. I hear Peeta call out to District 12. `Get up Get up! Run! Run!` I crash through the clearing to see her amble away.

Cato turns to Peeta. `Traitor.` He hisses, `I'm going to make you suffer.` He slashes his sword over Peeta's thigh.

You could hear Lover Boy's scream a mile away.

`Leave him out here. Nature will take care of him.` Marvel looks grieved at Glimmer's death.

`Wait.` I say, and tear the pant material away from Peeta's wound. I take a handful of soil, and smear it over. `Now he'll get blood poisoning, and it's sure fire he'll die.`

* * *

Days pass with nothing happening. The Capitol citizens must be getting bored, so we go in search for tributes. We track down 10, the one with the limp. `What do you do back on the ranch boy?` Asks Cato.

10 hisses when he sees us, then puts up his hands to defend himself. Cato tackles him down, and soon, he's down on the ground. In less than a second, my dagger is in his stomach, out, and back into the folds of my jacket. A cannon booms. We head back to the Cornucopia.

That's when I see the smoke. I grin, and point to it, Cato follows my finger, before arming himself. `He's coming.` Cato points to the District 3 boy, `We need him in the woods, and hid job here's done anyways. No one can touch these supplies.`

`What about Lover Boy?` Asks Marvel.

Cato hisses. `I keep telling you, forget about him. I know where I cut him. It's a miracle he hasn't bled to death yet. At any rate, he's in no shape to raid us. Come on.` He thrusts a spear at District 3. `When we find her, I kill her in my own way, and no one interferes.`

We walk on for several minutes when I see the second fire. `It's a trap.` I hiss, holding my knives tight. That was when we heard the bombs blow.

Cato pushes Marvel ahead. `Kill the fire starter. We're going back to the camp.` Marvel sprints for the fires, and Cato pushes us back to the site.

When we arrive, all we see of our supplies is a blackened ring. The bomber is no where in sight. Cato starts swearing like a fiend, and beating the ground. District 3 declares all bombs blown, and we salvage the wreck. `You did your job too well.` I tell the boy, just as Cato puts his hands on the boy's neck. One twist is all it takes, and the boy drops dead.

A cannon fires. Moments later, another. District 3's face appears in the sky, then a little girl's and Marvel's. `Damn. Must have been 12.`

I frown, and clench my teeth together. I will have 12's head.

* * *

I hear Claudius Templesmith's voice, and his announcement about how two people could win if they were in the same district. I looked at Cato, then clasped his left hand in mine, our rings clinking together. `Clove.` He breaths, I can barely hold back my joy. I could keep Cato. I silently thank Lover Boy for this. Then I remember District 5, 11, and 12.

`Damn.` I smile. `We're going home after 5, 11, and 12 die.

He hugs me. `That's right girl, we're going home.`

Just then, Templesmith decides to intervene again, and invites us to a feast. `Now hold on. Some of you may already be declining my invitation. But this is no ordinary feast. Each of you need something desperately. Each of you will find that something in a backpack, marked with your district number, at the Cornucopia at dawn. Think hard about refusing to show up. For some of you, this will be your last chance.`

There is something we need, and it's food. `I'll go.` I offer.

`No, girl. You're going to get killed.` He pleads with me not to go.

`It's okay, stay behind and watch for danger. And anyways, I've trained for this all my life. This is what I was made for.`

Cato smiles a bit. `Alright, don't get hurt.`

* * *

**A/N: **Urg... It's 6 am, and I had an idea for the story, and woke up to type it, and know, im knackered... So I know this chapter's short, and not so sweet, but wait for the next one, it'll be much better. Clove's death scene. That's going to be hard to write, I love Clove so much...

PM me if you ship Clato, and nothing else.


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